December 14, 2017 (Thursday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Internal armed conflict in Colombia, Paramilitarism in Colombia, Illegal drug trade in Colombia
- Colombia's biggest narcotics gang, Clan del Golfo (AGC), declares a cease-fire in effect since December 13. They say the gesture is meant "to contribute to a full, total and lasting peace." The Colombian government says that it welcomes the move but also that it will continue their pressure on the organization. (GMA Network)
Business and economy
- Proposed acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney
- The Walt Disney Company announces its intent to acquire a large portion of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion, pending regulatory approval. (CBS)
- Economy of Israel
- Israeli company Teva Pharmaceutical, the world's largest generic drug manufacturer, is restructuring in order to pay off debt, and will be cutting its work force by about a quarter. (Reuters)
- Net neutrality in the United States
- The Federal Communications Commission votes 3-to-2 to dismantle its net neutrality regulations. (Wired) (Wired)
Disasters and accidents
- Perpignan crash
- A train crashes into a school bus at a level crossing in the Arrondissement of Perpignan in France, killing six pupils on the bus. (BBC)
- Southern California wildfires
- A firefighter is killed while battling the Thomas Fire, the second death linked to the fourth largest wildfire in California history. (The Washington Post)
- West Wind Aviation Flight 280
- A plane crash in Fond-du-Lac, Saskatchewan, causes 24 injuries and 1 death. (CBC)
Health and environment
International relations
- Iran–United States relations
- Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, accuses Iran of violating the 2015 nuclear deal by allegedly supplying the missile fired last month on Saudi Arabia from Yemen. Iran refutes the claim as based on "fabricated" evidence. (Bloomberg News)
- Somalia–United States relations, Somali Civil War (2009–present)
- The U.S. government cuts aid to some Somali military units for allegedly misusing funds. (CNN)
- Pope Francis accepts the diplomatic credentials of new ambassadors to the Holy See from Azerbaijan, Chad, India, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Swaziland, and Yemen. In his welcoming address, the Pope mentions "the key role that dialogue plays in enabling diversity". (Vatican Press Office)
Law and crime
- Education in the United States
- Attorneys general for California, New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts sue the Trump Administration's Department of Education for not granting loan relief to students defrauded by for-profit schools. (Reuters)
Politics and elections
- Operation Car Wash
- The main opposition party of Peru, Popular Force, which has the absolute majority in Congress, gives the president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski less than 24 hours to present his resignation. This comes after it revealed that he received large sums of money from the Odebrecht construction company, through a financial advisory firm of his property, in exchange of the concession of important infrastructures for the country. (Reuters)
- Donald Trump's political appointments
- Michael Dourson, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine professor, withdraws his nomination for an assistant administrator position with the Environmental Protection Agency. (NBC News)